Aeroplane.



L. LUKKCS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-6.1914.

1, 168,658, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

F g/f WITNESSES /a f; IIVEIVTOH v a I :4 I I By A ATTORNEY L. LUKA/CS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1914.

1,168,65& Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A TTOR/VEY Lazar. homes, on NEW ou, n. Y.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed April e, 1914. Serial No. 829,899.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAzAR LUKAos, a sub ject of the King of Hungary, andresident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to aeroplanes, and has for one of itsobjects to generally improve and simplify the construetion of the same.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the propellingmechanism of the aeroplane that it offers the least resistance to theair, whereby the speed of the aeroplane is greatly increased comparedwith those heretofore in use, taking into consideration a given engineand a, given number of revolutions of the same. Another object of theinvention is to produce a propelling mechanism which serves at the sametime as the steering means of the aerial vessel.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, it being understood that many 7 changes may bemade in the size and proportion of the several parts and details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims without departingfrom the s'pirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of anaerial vessel constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof withthe glider frames removed in order to more clearly show the constructionof the device; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a detail of construction.

In the drawings, the numeral designates the frame .of the vessel, madeof a.

suitable light and rigid material and mounted upon wheels 11, whichfacilitate the transportation of the vessel and aid in the unevenground, etc. the form of a. cage, and to its top are atlike structures,which eflective y prevent the tiltingof the vessel when it runs over anThe frame is made in tached the glider frames of the machine, comprlsingsuperposed frames 13 and 14 of light and rigid material, which areprovided with coverings of any suitable material, thereby formingaeroplanes. The glider frames are properly strengthened by staywires 15,to give them the required rigidity. Obviously any suitable number ofglider frames may be used according to the requirements.

For actuating the propelling means of the vessel, 2. suitable source ofpower is provided, for instance an internal combustion engine 16,diagrammatically shown in the drawings. This engine is mounted upon ahorizontally disposed lattice-work 17, its crankshaft 18 being arrangedhorizontally and transversely of the frame of the structure, that is tosay parallel to the axle 19 of the front wheels 11. On each end of thecrankshaft is mounted a screw propeller 20 of the required size andpitch, the planes of rotation of these propellers being parallel to thesides 21, 21 of the vessel frame. In rear of each propeller is mountedupon the shaft 18 a disk 22, said disks serving as fly-wheels, also aslateral balancing means, and furthermore a purpose which will behereinafterdescribed. With each propeller cooperate a plurality ofvertically disposed planes 23, each comprising an oblong frame 24;, thatis covered with suitable material and pivotally mounted in horizontallongitudinal bars 25,

which are attached in any suitable manner to and extend parallel to thesides of the frame of the vessel.

In the case shown in the drawings there are on each side of the vesselprovided four frames 24:, but it will be easily seen that their numbermay be varied at will. The frames 24 on each side of the vessel areconnected by bars 26, said bars being pivoted to the said frames. To onebar 26 on each side of the structure are fixedly attached downwardlyextending arms 27 to the lower ends of which are pivoted at, 28horizontally disposed levers 29, which extend into a cage 30,

that is suspended from bars 31, the latter running'in parallel relationto the front and rear of the frame of the. vessel and being,

rigidly attached to the glider frame 13. Within the cage 30, which isrigidly mounted upon the bars 31, is arranged the operatorsseat 32,theoperator being able to slide along the entire length of the cageandbeing protected from drafts by wedge-shaped structures 33, which areattached to the cage in front and rear-thereof. It is to be observedthat the seat 32 may accommodate more than one person, for instance onebehind the other. Attention is called to the fact that the greater theweight on the operators seat, the greater will be the stability of themachine. The levers 29 on each-side of the vessel are provided with ahandle 34 adapted to cooperate teeth 37 upon the levers 29 to prevent ashifting of the levers 29 in transverse directions.

steering planes 38 are fastened to a transverse spindle 39, that isoscillatably mounted in extensions '40 of the frame 'of the vessel. Tothe spindle is attached an upwardly extending arm 41, to whichispivoted. at 42 a steering rod 43, that extends into thecage 30 and runsthroughout the length thereof for the same reason as the handles 34 ofthe levers 29 run in a similar manner through- ,out the length of saidcage. Inasmuch as the elevating planes 38 are disposed at a substantialdistance from each other, they serve at the same time-as lateralbalancing means.

In front of the frames 24. is mounted upon each side of the vessel framea wedgeshaped structure 44 to. protect the said frames from the wind.The planes 23 may,

be curved, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, or they may be flat asremaming figures.

The operation of this device isfas follows: It seems it is necessary todescribe only the function and operation of the planes 23 in cooperationwith the propellers 20, since the operations of the other elements ofthe vessel are well known. In starting the ascent,

of the vessel, all frames 24 are shifted into the positions in whichthey are shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings onthe left side of the vesselframe. The engine is then started and the steering planes 38 setto-cause the vessel to ascend. The propellers force the'airtoward theplanes 23, by which it is deflected and caused to move toward the rearof the shown in the Fig. 2 of the drawings. The speed of the vessel maybe changed by varying the exposed surfaces of the planes 23 relative to,the propellers, more particularly the more the said planes are shiftedto closing positions, the greater the speed of the vessel, and the morethey are shifted to opening positions, that is to say the nearer theyare brought into the position shown on the right side of the device inFig. 3 of the drawings, the slower the speed of the device. From this itappears that in order to change the speed of the vessel, it is notnecessary to change the speed of the engine thereof. The disks 22 serveto prevent the setting up of counteracting air currents by the twopropellers of the device. In order to produce a change of direction inthe course of the aero-. 85.

' plane in a horizontal plane, one or the other set of planes 23 isshifted in the proper di- I rection as it is intended to cause thevessel to move to the right or to the left. It is to 3 into a higher ora lower plane, the planes 38 To guide the vessel in the vertlcal plane,

mainly in the provision of a plurality of shiftable plane's, which incooperation with the propellers of the device, are adapted topredetermine the course of the vessel and at the same time to vary itsspeed at will without changing the speed of the propellers.

It. is to be noted that the poiser or aeroplane frames 13 and,14 arewhollydisposed within the frame 10 of the apparatus. very strong andpractically indestructible structure is thus obtained.- It is to beobserved stabilizing means, the device being stable for the reason thatthe entire weight is suspended from' the glider frames 13 and 14, andfurthermore because the propellers force the air laterally in bothdirections, Inasmuch, as above described, the entire weight Ward, nomatter whether on land or in the air, by properly setting the two setsof that the aeroplane herein described does not need any special mes esi m:

' posed planes oscillatably mounted upon each longitudinal side thereofand below said glider frames, and a propeller associated with each setof planes, each propelller being located in close proximity to itscorre- 7 sponding set of planes and causing thus an unobstructed passageof air to its planes.

2. In an aerial vessel, the combination with a main frame, of'gliderframes upon the top thereof, a plurality of vertically disposed planesoscillatably mounted upon each longitudinal side thereof and below saidglider frames, a propeller associated with eachset of planes, eachpropeller being located in close proximity to its corresponding set ofplanes and causing thus an unobstructed passage of air to its planes,and means for shifting said planes around their'pivots to vary theirexposed surfaces relative to said propellers.

3. In an aerial vessel, the combination with a main frame, of gliderframes upon the top thereof, a plurality of vertically disposedplanes-oscillatably mounted upon each longitudinal side thereof andbelow said glider frames, a propeller associated with each set ofplanes, each propeller being located inclose proximity to itscorresponding set of planes and causing thus an unobstructed passage ofair to its planes, and means for independently shifting each set ofplanes around their pivots to vary their exposed surfaces relative tosaid propellers.

4. In an aerial vessel, the combination -with a main frame, of gliderframes upon the top thereof, a lurality of vertically disposed planesoscifi each. longitudinal side thereof and below said glider frames, apropeller associated with each set of planes, each propeller beinglocated in close proximity to its corresponding set of planes andcausing thus an unobstructed passage of air to its planes,

and means for simultaneously shifting each set of said planes aroundtheir pivots to vary their exposed surfaces relative to said propellers.

- 5. In an aerial vessel, the combinationwith a main frame, of gliderframes upon the top thereof, a plurality of vertically disposed planesoscillatably mounted upon each longitudinal side thereof and below thecombination atably mounted upon said glider frames, and a propellerassociated with each set of planes, said propellers rotating in planesparallel to said two sides of said frame, each propeller being locatedin close proximity to its corresponding set of planesand causing thus anunobstructed passage of air to its planes.

an aerial vessel, the combination with a main frame, of glider framesupon the top thereof, a plurality of vertically disposed planesoscillatably mounted upon each longitudinal side thereof and below saidglider frames, a propeller associated with each set of planes, saidpropellers rotatlng in planes parallel to the said two sides of saidframe, each propeller being located in close proximity to itscorresponding set with each set of planes, said propellers ro'-- tatmg1n. planes parallel to the said two sides of said frame, each propellerbeing located in close proximity to its corresponding set of planes andcausing thus an unobstructed said glider frames, a propeller associatedpassage of air to its planes, and means for independently shifting eachset of planes around their pivots to vary their exposed surfacesrelative to said propellers.

8. In an aerial vessel, the combination with a main frame, of gliderframes upo the top thereof, a plurality of vertically disposed planesoscillatably mounted upon each longitudinal side thereof .and belowsaid. glider frames,- a propeller assoclated with'each set of planes,said propellers rotating in planes parallel to the said two sides ofsaid frame, each propeller being located in close proximity to itscorresponding set of planes and causing thus an unobstructed passage ofair to its planes, and means an simultaneously shifting each set i of sad planes around their pivots to vary their exposed surfaces relative tosaid propellers.

Signed at New York, inthe county of New York,and State of New York, this12th day of March, A. D. 1914.

LAZAR LUKAOS.

. Witnesses:

S. BIRNBAUM, PAULINE NAGY.

